Barrel



March 10, 1936. Q wlDMAN I 2,033,267

BARREL Filed April 8, 1935 I N VEN TOR.

/ 9 Cbar/es M Widmd A TTORNEYS Gil Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT pm BARREL ration of Delaware Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,139

4 Claims;

My invention relates to barrels and particularly to a barrel of the all-metal type made up of similar preformed'sections which are welded together to form a complete barrel. Q

Tight barrels which are employed by wine and cider makers, brewers and distillers have usually been made of wood, preferably of well seasoned oak in the shape of staves which were preformed to provide a bilge to the barrel, that is'to say, the bulge or enlargement at its central portion. The staves were preformed to accurately mate with each other-throughout their lengths. The stavcs were assembled together by hoops, the ends were beveled and a groove was provided near the end in which heads were fitted to form the complete barrel. This operation required a considerable amount of time, skilled labor and was expensive. In practicing my invention, I construct a tight barrel entirely of metal, formed of like stampings ings of conoidal shape which, when mated to-' gether, form a complete barrel having a bulge in.

the center and heads on both ends; to provide reinforcing end caps for the barrel portion so formed, with projection portions near their ends as to extend beyond the bulge of the barrel portion, to press fit the reinforcing end caps over the ends of the barrel portion and weld or otherwise secure them permanently thereto; to provide flanged apertures in the barrel portion to which collars areyvelded or otherwise secured to form bungs for the barrel and, in general, to fabricate a barrel from preformed metal elements which is rigid in construction, which is leak proof and which is economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when refen'ing, for a better understanding of my invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view, partly in section, of a barrel embodying features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 thereof,

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, in section, of onehalf of the barrel illustrated in Fig. 1, I r i Fig. 4 is abroken sectional view of a barrel, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a modified form thereof, and 5 Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view of a barrel, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a further modified form thereof.

I have illustrated, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a barrel III which is fabricated from like sheet-metal stampings. The barrel referred to is constructed in the main, of two similar conoidal elements H, which are ofpot-shape, having outwardly divergingsides l2 and bottoms l3. -The edges are outwardly flanged. at H and are abutted to each other and welded, preferably by a butt welding operation, to form a tight joint. It isto be under-. stood that brazing, torch orelectric welding may be employed instead of the butt weld, or any other-well known method in the art may be utilized. Two apertures are provided in the barrel portion so formed, the aperture IS in one of the bottoms l3, having a flange l6 thereabout, more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. A semi-circular aperture I1 is provided in each half ll of the pressed metal portion, having a semi-circular flange l8thereabout; which forms a complete aperture when the two halves II are welded together. A collar. l9, having a, shoulder 2| therein, projects over the flange loofthe aperture I! in the side of the barrel portion. The collar is preferably made of cast iron or other rust resisting metal and is welded, brazed or otherwise secured to the flange l8.

Reinforcing elements 22 are formed from sheet metal to encompass the end portions ll of the barrel, being provided with a, pressed-in head portion 23, downwardly projecting side portions 24 and outwardly pressed annular portions 25 which form rings which project beyond the bulge and the collar IQ of the barrel to permit the roll of the barrel in a straight direction. The upwardly projecting marginal portion 26 of the reinforcing member 22 forms a handheld for the barrel by which it may be lifted andcarried and provides edges upon which the barrel may. be

stood or stacked, one upon the other. The reinforcing member 22 is pressed upon the outer' surface of the portion ll of the barrel and is thereafter welded or otherwise secured thereto.

The member 22 is not only spot-welded along the portion 24 but is preferably continuously welded at the edge of the member, between the rings 25 and the central portion of the barrel,

to prevent moisture and refuse from entering the space between the inner surface of the ring land the outer surface. of the element ll.

It;is to be understood that the head 23 may be cut out or omitted and a flange provided in its stead, which is likewise continuously welded to the head I3 of the barrel to form a water tight joint.

An aperture 21 is provided in the head 23 through which projects a collar 23 having a shoulder 29 for receiving the flange ii of the aperture IS. The collar 28 is brazed, welded or otherwise secured to the flange and to the mar ginal edge of the aperture 21. It is to be understood that the aperture 21 is only provided in the reinforcing member 22 which is to go over the end ll of the barrel in which the aperture I5 is provided.

The barrel, so reinforced, is sturdy of construetion and will stand considerable abuse in use and shipment. In view of the metal construction, the barrel will not leak, warp or decay, as in the case of the wooden barrel, and its life of usefulness is materially increased thereover. It will be noted that only two sets of dies will be necessary to form the barrel elements, one for forming the elements II and the other for forming the reinforcing members 22. The only difference to be found in the two elements II is the aperture l5 provided in oneof the elements-which may be formed by a separate operation. For this reason, the tools for constructing such a barrel are re tained at a. minimum in number and cost.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of reinforcing elements 3l which are provided with an outwardly curved flange portion 32 ,which follows the curve of the end of the barrel portion II. The terminal ends 33 of the elements 3| are rolled about annular rods 34 to provide the rings upon,

which the barrel rolls. Upwardly directed flanges 35 on the elements 3| provide the terminals for the barrel by which it is carried and upon which it is stood or stacked. The terminal ends 36 of the flanges 3| are likewise rolled about annular rods 31. The elements 3| are pressed upon the ends of the barrel portions II and are welded, brazed or otherwise permanently secured thereto.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a further modified form of barrel, wherein the barrel portions 4| are shouldered at 42 to provide additional strength to the heads [3. The shoulders 42 are engaged by upstanding portions 43 of reinforcing members 44 which are secured thereto. The upstanding portions 43 are provided with the terminal ends 36 which are bent around the annular rods 31, as in the modified form illustrated in Fig. 4. The portions 43 are provided with aperturedportions 45, the metal 46. thereof being bent inwardly to provide handholds by which the barrel, when of small size, may be lifted directly at one end. Below the upstanding flange portions 43 the reinforcing members 44 are curved at 41 to follow the curve of the barrel portions 4|, the terminal end 33 thereof being bent around an annular rod 34, as in the modified form illustrated in Fig. 4. The element 44 is pressed upon the end of the barrel, into flrm, tight engagement therewith.

are stamped from the same dies. The rings provided on the side of the barrel protects the bung and permits the barrel to be rolledin a straight line. The projecting end portions 'or chimes provide handholds and terminal ends upon which the barrels may be stood or stacked, as the case may be. The reinforcing ends are press fitted on the ends of the barrel portion and are welded or otherwise secured in place to materially reinforce the metal of the barrel portion. The barrel thus constructed will stand considerable abuse and has an exceedingly long life.

While I have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A barrel made of two like sheet metal flanged elements which are provided with semi-circular flanged apertures and secured together at said flanges with the apertures in aligned relation to form a circular outwardly flanged opening, and

the ends of the barrel, which members are press fitted and secured to the elements.

2. A barrel made of two pairs of like stampings, the elements of either pair being formed exactly alike, at least one pair of said elements having a, semi-circular aperture at their marginal edges, flanges integrally formed on each of said elements about said semi-circular aperture, said apertures forming a circular outwardly flanged opening at the bilge of the barrel when the stampings are united to form the complete barrel, and a ring carried on the outside of said flange and forming therewith a hung ring.

3. A liquid-containing portion of a barrel made of like metal stampings having outwardly projecting flanges and a flanged semi-cylindrical aperture in continuation of said first flange, said stampings being oppositely disposed and welded together with the apertures in aligned relation to form a circular outwardly flanged opening, and a bung ring surrounding the flange of said opening and welded thereto.

CHARLES H. wmwm. 

